Hello, everyone. I'm Simone. I live in West, Texas and I've been recently introduced to this board by a friend. I'm really excited to learn as much as I can because I've always been one to stop at historical markers, old buildings and entranced by anything dealing with history.

I look foward to learning much about each of you - your ideas, your thoughts and your knowledge.

*smile... Thank you for your greeting JoanieReb. Just the marginal looking around that I've started, I realize there is so much for me to read. I'm not quite sure where to start. Any suggestions?

§imone§ays ~ I see a lilly on thy brow, / With anguish moist and fever dew; / And on thy cheek a fading rose / Fast withereth too. I met a lady in the meads / Full beautiful, a faery's child; / Her hair was long, her foot was light, / And her eyes were wild. - Keats

No suggestions right now - but, not only do you have Mary Chestnut as your avatar, you have lines from "'La Belle Dam Sans Merci " as your personal quote? Too much!

For my first bachelor's (I did a BA and a BS) I wrote my senior thesis on Keats - have a picture that was a graduation gift entitled "La Belle Dam Sans Merci" over my dresser - the pale knight being over-come and all. A little too over-wrought for my tastes today, or, maybe not, LOL!

Welcome to the board from another newbie. For a balanced introduction try Battle Cry Of Freedom. Sorry I don't recall the author. I feel it gives one of the most balanced perspectives on political, economic and abolitionist reasons that there was a war. I am just now reading the Civil War a narative by Shelby Fote. It is a series of books that helps to place all the major battles and events in cronological relation. I got it for Christmas and just now am upto Vicksburg- Gettysburg volume.

I think Foote's 3 volume set and James Mcpherson's Battle Cry of Freedom lay down about the best foundation for learning about TWBTS one can have. Perfer Foote, myself; think he has a broader interpretation in the long run, always find McPherson a bit narrow in his interpretive scope, but, he is surely, along with Foote, an icon in the field.